Category: art

It’s been a long, dark, and damp (if not, drenched) winter in the Pacific Northwest. Many friends have expressed everything from annoyance to pure hatred toward our recent weather behavior. They’ve questioned their decision to move to this far corner of America, asked for advice about the best “happy light”, expressed wanting to fry under said happy light, and explained how this winter has brought out a level of S.A.D. we just didn’t think would exist. It’s so bad people are almost self-diagnosing themselves as depressed. So far, the people I know are okay and are managing as best as they can.

Though I consider myself a native, I have never really fully appreciated the grey season (which is about 6-9 months of the year, depending on science). I have expressed a spectrum of emotions about how it feels like I’m in a rain cloud prison. With what little energy I can muster I’ve found that reaching out to friends is good. Getting together with them is better. Sun lamps can kind of help. Taking a vacation to the desert is better. But this is all a roundabout way to say that creativity can take a back seat to pure sadness and lethargy (bears get to call it hibernation). This is all to say that my editing process has be skewing more dark and delicate than usual.

These tulip petals say a lot about how I’ve been feeling both physically and mentally: drained, dropped, and working in a shallow-depth-of-field.March 13, 2017

In a rush to catch a bus, I stopped to take pictures of some stone benches and art that I’ve walked passed for years. Clicking away, falling into the bending light, a man yelled and told me that he had helped the artist who made them. Unfortunately, in my hurry, I did ask his name, but in a quick search I found out the work was done by the sculptor John Hoge.

While pushing and pulling the tones, I felt the images taking the shape of human muscle; the glow and reflections that came through are the energy and strength our muscles give us. Coincidentally, these stones sit in front of a hospital.

About the above image: The influence of painter Edward Hopper guided me to snap this as quickly as I could (This volunteer moved right after I took it). It reminded me of many of Hopper’s paintings and how they illustrate lonely and quiet postures, and long dramatic shadows. The portrait on the wall is Johnny Jones by Marti Corn.

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The Outwin 2016: American Portraiture Today from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery is on display at the Tacoma Art Museum. If you are in the Puget Sound area of Washington State, go and spend a couple of hours and treat yourself to a fine exhibit.

Candidly speaking, portraiture is not my strength when it comes to photography, but it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it. And perhaps I’ve only been asked to do portraiture in the sense that someone needs a headshot or holiday cards made, as opposed to a photo where I collaborate with a subject to tell a greater story, which is what this exhibit does so very well. With each portrait, I found myself asking “Who is this person?” before the next question, “What choices did this artist make when considering how to present their subject, and why?”.

In the car ride home I unraveled my thoughts on the collection, about what I felt made it successful. In the end, the portraits that were chosen transcended the usual technical excellence and mainstream/popular visual aesthetic. With each, I met a person through their gaze, through their hair, or through how they held their hands. With each person, I became curious, my empathy and wonder feelers turned on high. Unlike viewing portraits that were commissioned hundreds of years ago to flatter a person in a high position, these were not just pretty portraits; these were lives. They are lives that are examples of many others like them that exist in this time, now, experiencing things I could experience or can relate to, or at least try to understand. They are not about status, but human existence.

To pique your curiosity, I decided to crop these phone pics of some of the work I saw on purpose. Seeing them in person is just more powerful, and they are totally worthy of your personal visit.

In an experiment to transfer a photo onto wood, I was left with the paper I had to rub off to expose the print. It was fairly successful, but not perfect. Of course, I then found the shreds more interesting.

I Want To Break Free | February 9, 2017Ideas, They Come to Me In Pieces | February 9, 2017

If you’ve been interested in purchasing one of my art prints, or are looking for holiday gift ideas, stop by my Society6 store and have a look. There are several 24-Hour promotions* that you can take advantage of, including free shipping on everything! Here is what you can save and when:

Nov 23: $5 Off all Apparel (t-shirts, v-necks, long sleeves, hoodies, leggings, totes, carry-all pouches, biker tanks, tank tops). I don’t have a lot to offer in this area, but definitely check out all the other cool artists with fantastic work you can wear!

* All Promotions Start at 12:00 AM PT and End at 11:59 PM PT for the select date. All discounts automatically applied. No promo code needed.

I revisited and edited some photos I took at the Rodin Museum in Paris. The museum is a converted mansion that became the house for his work. It is a lovely, intimate space. Seeing the natural light fall on the sculptures in a house-like setting was pure joy. This is just a small selection from the photos I took. For more photos, visit my Flickr album.

Our trip to Mexico City was filled with art and culture. When others go to the beach to forget and relax, we travel to discover and learn about subjects new and different from our own. While wandering the streets, a banner ad for the exhibit El arte de la indumentaria y la moda en Mexico, 1940-2015 caught our eye. So we popped in. Admission was free to explore this lovely building, where there were two floors filled with beautiful dresses. They were stunning, traditional, historical, daring, of-their-decade, and just fascinating to study. Students of fashion were walking around with sketch pads and cameras studying each piece. One student seemed to be photographing the same ones I was interested in. I remember him making a comment to me in Spanish that we seemed to like the same styles.

Fashion is not something I really keep up with at all, but I appreciate the art and skill designers have to manifest their visions. I enjoy exploring different areas of art and creativity. Areas I couldn’t do because it just isn’t my natural talent. It helps me stay curious and grow in the kinds of visions I can have for my work.

I’ve been working on a project that I hope will help bring in a little extra money. I’ve joined a legion of other artists on Society6, where my work is available for sale in the form of prints, canvas art, tote bags, shower curtains, duvet covers, phone covers, tapestries, clocks, and more. The great thing is that they do all the production and shipping, and I simply upload my work. For every item sold I get some profit from it. I get a kick out of seeing my work transform into different shapes, sizes, and textures.

The other day, I took a trip to the local Fisherman’s Terminal to pick up some salmon for dinner, and thought it might be fun to do a short photowalk through the shipyard. September has been cool and sunny, and the light gentle, yet intense. It turned out to be a meditative escape in a playground of shapes, texture, color, and light.

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Sometimes I think I can take photographing for granted. With easy access to any kind of camera, we can capture what we want when we want. It’s easy. It’s fast. It can sometimes be more of a reactionary response, or a “this might look good” moment. I don’t discourage myself from just shooting because sometimes those moments turn out really well. Some of my favorite images are things I caught by luck or random happenstance. But the amount of snap-shot/just because photos I have can totally burn me out. I tend to get bored and frustrated. Where is the work I’m dying to make? The work that really stands out for me that isn’t just another random image? That’s when I realized: My mind is not always in it’s prime state when taking photos. Simply put, there are times I am present with my camera and the moment, and there are times when I am not. I want to strive to be more present. Not only is this healthier for my mind, it yields my more thoughtful and impactful images.

As I continued my walk through the shipyard, I felt every step on the wooden pier, took a breath and stabilized my feet before every shutter release, thought about how a subject might look at different angles, remembered to consciously practice things I learned in school like hyper-focal distance focusing, and visualized how I might want to process a moment differently than how I saw it at that moment. I was patient with myself. I let myself try. It was one of my more immersive photo walk experiences. I was eager to edit what I had shot, because I knew I had good things to share.

Bands | Sep 2016 | Marivic PinedoMaterialize | Sep 2016 | Marivic PinedoKoi | Sep 2016 | Marivic PinedoStreak | Sep 2016 | Marivic PinedoSo, I’d like to ask you: What intention (if any) do you set for yourself when you go out shooting? When do you think you feel disconnected from your work? When do you feel connected with your work? Do you practice a sort of mindfulness when you are shooting? And just for fun, where are some places in your hometown that you can always go to to explore your creative seeing? As someone who can struggle with creativity and finding inspiration, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I’ve had a collection of work up at Fresh Flours Bakery on Phinney Ridge focusing on abstract and travel photography. They’re up through the end of this month, so if you haven’t already, grab a cuppa something and a tasty pastry (Trust me. They’re great pastries), and have a look. Contact me if you’re interested in any pieces or have any questions!